Image: Rohit Sharma’s journey as a part of Mumbai Indians for the 14 years has been legendary / © Cricadium
Being the player who has been an integral part of Mumbai Indians (MI) for the past 14 years, Rohit Sharma’s journey with the franchise has been nothing short of legendary. On January 8, 2011, Rohit was bought by MI for $2 million after representing Deccan Chargers in the first three IPL seasons. Since then, he has become the face of the team, leading them to five IPL titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020). He was appointed captain midway through the 2013 season, replacing Ricky Ponting, and led the team to their first-ever IPL win that year, defeating Chennai Super Kings in the final.
Rohit’s leadership continued to drive MI’s success, making them the first franchise to win five IPL titles. Under his captaincy, MI defeated teams like Rising Pune Supergiant and Delhi Capitals in the finals. Rohit also made history as the first player to lead a team to five IPL trophies as a captain. His remarkable IPL record includes 5,731 runs from 217 innings, including 36 half-centuries and two centuries, with a strike rate of 131.05.
Despite facing challenges, including being sacked as captain ahead of IPL 2024, Rohit was retained by MI for INR 16.30 crore, proving his enduring value to the franchise.